I can’t help but thinking of Burgundy when I drink Cru Beaujolais, and vice versa. And I can’t help thinking about a conversation with a friend who suggested that Burgundy is always reaching for the stars, for a pinnacle if you will. While other wines, such as Cru Beaujolais, are so firmly rooted in the...

It’s been a minute since I name checked my favorite grape variety Nebbiolo. But a nice Langhe Nebbiolo can work well at any time of the year, summer included. The Eugenio Bocchino “Roccabella” Langhe Nebbiolo has been on my radar for a while thanks to the kind folks at Frankly Wines. They have been pointing...

I have loved “ponies” ever since my college days. For those of you who may not know what a “pony” is, and I hope there are not many of you, I will tell you. A “pony” is a half sized vessel. Typically applied to a bottle of beer, but also applicable to kegs. And while...

File the Cascina Gilli Freisa d’Asti under: Wine you never knew you liked and needed. There are probably very few of you folks who have tried a Friesa. Even as a lover of wines from the Piedmont in Northern Italy, I had only ever really heard or read about Freisa in passing. It is unfortunately...

Having recently finished an excellent book on the wine scene in Sicily, I can’t get it out of my mind. Maybe also because of some of the excellent Sicilian wines experienced on the LA adventure, or perhaps that my family roots run to Sicily on my mother’s side. I have always wanted to go there,...

La Clarine Farm 2009 Mourvedre ~ $22.99 After being wowed by the La Clarine Farm 2009 Home Vineyard blend I was chomping at the bit to try their 2009 Mourvedre. The wine is different from the Home Vineyard, which is a blend. This baby is all Mourvedre and has less tannic structure, but the Tannat...

Usually I don’t like it when someone who is trying to sell me something gets pushy. But when it comes to wine and Christy Frank of Frankly Wines gets pushy and tells me I must buy something, I actually listen. She had recommended La Clarine Farm to me before and insisted I buy a bottle. ...

Yup, I dare you to come up with a bottle of Bordeaux from the 2001 vintage that you can buy (today) for about $40ish that can roll with this mofo. Okay, I know we are not even talking about the same grape varieties but there is a thread here. Like this is what great Bordeaux...

Domaine Faillenc Sainte Marie Corbieres 2007 – $14.99 Take me to funky town. First day, all animal vinegar B.O. In the mouth, there are hints of earthy red tart fruit. Second day, animal funk is fading, fruit surging ahead in the mid palate. This suggests the wine needs time, or at least some air, like...

Sometimes we miss the boat. This wine is one of those times. I read about Foradori Teroldego on the website of one of my favorite wine shop haunts in NYC, Frankly Wines. The proprietor of said establishment (Christy Frank) has a knack for finding hidden gems, which is why I am a regular, and this...

I am just back from our visit to Rioja and I will be working on a few pieces for the blog and pouring over images and video, and drinking some more Rioja. Before we left we were drinking a bit of Rioja to get ourselves ready. We did not get a chance to visit Bodegas...

Lebanon’s Chateau Musar is one of the worlds most unique and memorable wines. It is certainly the most (in)famous wine from the middle east and it has been enchanting wine lovers for decades. When people try Musar they will certainly always remember it for it’s uniqueness and it has definitely become one of my all...